The Corolla GRMN is at the very pinnacle of Toyota’s engineering prowess, harnessed through Gazoo Racing, it’s been described in fact as the “purest expression of GR performance and motorsport DNA.” Even more pleasing is the fact that Toyota New Zealand have managed to secure two of these cars for a showcase tour of New Zealand.
Sharing its development with time at the Nurburgring as well as competing in the famously grueling Japanese Super Taikyu competition, the Corolla GRMN will tour our country, aiming to connect with enthusiasts and fans alike. “Kiwis are big performance car enthusiasts who are following the GR journey closely and like to customise their GR cars” says Andrew Davis, Chief Strategic Officer for Toyota New Zealand who unsurprisingly, jumped at the chance to bring a “full factory GRMN” vehicle down here!
GRMN actually stands for ‘Gazoo Racing tuned by Meister of Nurburgring’, if that doesn’t hit at the credentials of this particular Corolla then I’m not sure what will! Available exclusively with a 6speed manual, the 1.6L turbo three pot produces even more torque than before, sent to all wheels through a refined all wheel drive systems. Steering feedback has been improved as has aerodynamics with some carbon fibre enabled weight shedding also thrown into the mix for added measure!
The fact that the Corolla GRMN is a two seater only should tell you that this vehicle is highly specialized and as “the most advanced expression of GR engineering”, its purpose down under will be to further enthuse the local Toyota GR faithful who have already taken so well to the brand’s creation, be it the Yaris, Corolla, 86 or Supra!
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Words by Matthew D’Souza, media release courtesy of Toyota New Zealand.
